Republicans moved early Thursday morning to adjourn the House ahead of schedule for the July 4 recess after Democrats refused to end their takeover of the chamber, and threatened to prevent the House from doing any work through Friday or even beyond.
It appeared to be the only move left for the GOP after Democrats indicated they would continue to protest loudly on the House floor until the GOP allowed a vote on two gun bills. Republicans gave no indication Wednesday that they were open to votes on the bills suggested by Democrats.
Republicans tested the waters late Wednesday by returning to the floor for a vote, only to be met with boisterous Democratic protests. Democratic lawmakers chanted over House Speaker Paul Ryan as he tried to conduct a vote, and even sang “We Shall Overcome” during the vote.
The protest prompted one Republican, Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas, to confront Democrats on the floor and ask why they are only focusing on gun control after the Orlando shooting, and ignoring the threat of radical Islamic terrorism.
Meanwhile, Democrats exalted over their ability to control the floor for more than 14 hours, and even thanked the media for following their floor discussion through the mobile phone app Periscope.
Republicans finalized their plan to abandon the chamber shortly after midnight, and interrupted the protesting Democrats again shortly after 1 a.m. Thursday morning to implement it. The first vote was on a motion to reset the House schedule so lawmakers could start a new legislative day in the wee hours of Thursday morning, and that passed on a party-line vote.
Lawmakers then voted to adjourn for the day, another motion that Republicans supported, and Democrats opposed.
At around 2:30 a.m., the GOP convened for a new legislative day, and took up a spending bill that includes a new Republican proposal to fund efforts to fight the Zika virus. Democrats oppose that Zika plan, but Republicans quickly passed the rule for the bill, and then the bill itself.
Despite the partisan fighting all day, six Democrats joined Republicans in the final vote to pass the bill.
After that, Republicans adjourned the House again, but not before issuing a warning that members aren’t allowed to record from within the House chamber when the House is not in session, a clear reference to the Democrats’ Periscope broadcasts.
With that, the GOP called it a week instead of working normal hours Thursday and Friday. The House was originally set to be in session until Friday, and then out next week for the July 4 recess.
But Democrats immediately kept up their protest in the House just moments after the House session officially ended, although their ranks thinned out as the night wore on.
Republicans declared victory by touting their passage of the Zika legislation, which must still clear a 60-vote hurdle in the Senate.
“Despite the publicity stunt on the floor, House Republicans were intent on not allowing these tactics to stop us from completing this important business,” AshLee Strong, press secretary for Ryan, said early Thursday of the Zika bill. “So we have plowed ahead to do what is needed to responsibly address the crisis.”
On the gun protest, Strong said the Democrats were simply wasting time.
“Democrats can continue to talk, but the reality is that they have no end-game strategy,” she said. “The Senate has already defeated the measure they’re calling for.”
“The House is focused on eliminating terrorists, not constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens,” she added. “And no stunts on the floor will change that.”
By adjourning early, Republicans will end legislative work and will turn off the House camera feed and microphones and possibly the lights, just as Democrats did to Republicans during a similar protest in 2008.
As Washingtonians commuted to work on Thursday morning, Democrats were still at it and showed no signs of wrapping up. Democrats could decide to remain on the floor, but the impact of their floor takeover would diminish because the House would then be in recess for more than a week, and even Democrats devoted to the protest would likely turn to thinking about booking flights home.
